Stable platform



All@ 8, 1950 R. H. VARIAN 2,517,612

STABLE PLATFORM Filed March 29, 1947 s sheets-sheet 1 R. H. VARIAN STABLE PLATFORM Aug. 8, 1950 3 sheets-sheet s Filed March 29, 1947 ORNE m Re. df w w mm d f J MM R L E e 1f. W m E f L 7 T 5 P M u ,U MU F on @L R E R R P M Il.. u F 1.. V7L 6 M 5 Koh/HTM .H P on L /V WW n L of@ N 9W W W 5 5 Patented Aug. 8, 1950 STABLE PLATFORM Russell H. Varian, Palo Alto, Calif., assigner to The Sperry Corporation, a corporation of Dela- Ware Application March 29, 1947, Serial No. 738,241

(Cl. i4-5.34)

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a gyroscopically stabilized vplatform for use in ships, aeroplanes and other movable craft. Such a platform, maintaining a substantially horizontal attitude in spite of the motions of the craft which carries it, has many useful applications. It may be used as a datum from which the roll and pitch of the craft may be measured; it may serve as an artificial horizon for measuring the zenith distance of heavenly bodies in navigation, or as a reference base for setting the required superelevation of pieces of .ordnance in fire control, and for many other purposes.

A feature of the invention lies in the means of measuring the angles of roll and pitch of the craft, and controlling power-driven transmitters of these angles so that secondary artificial horizons may be operated in various parts of the ship to maintain their planes parallel to the primary or master platform.

A further feature of the invention resides in the novel means of applying powerful servo control to stabilize the platform whereby advantage is taken of the static and gyroscopic inertia of the apparatus to enhance the quickness of response of the servo system, Whereas such inertia has hitherto been a hindrance to quick and accurate following.

The invention also relates to the novel features or principles of the instrumentalities described herein, whether or not such are used for the stated objects, or in the stated fields or combinationsl Thus while I have shown my invention as employing a gravity reference, other geophysical attribute properties of the earth may be employed from which my gyro system is controlled, such as the earths magnetic field-or the direction .ofthe earths spin axis.

Other features and advantages of the said invention together with one .manner in which it may be carried into effect will appear from the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is an elevation of the stabilized platform, partly in section,

Figure 2 is a plan view partly in section of the stabilized platform,

Figure 3 shows in section a torque motor for .causing `precession of the servo-gyro,

Figure 4 is a diagram in section of the optical picknoif device shown in outline in Figure 1,

Figure .5 .is a diagram showing the connections of the photo-cell of Figure 4 and the amplifiers and other apparatus associated therewith,

Figure 6 shows .one form of flexible suspension, ,and

Figure 7 shows a second form of flexible suspension.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a frame I2 is supported by anti-friction bearings 20, 2| for rotation round a horizontal axis in a gimbal ring I3. Said ring is similarly supported for rotation round a horizontal axis 4I, in an outer base I4 secured to the deck of the ship. This construction allows frame I2 to maintain a horizontal position in spite of roll and pitch of the ship.

In the upper part of frame I2 is mounted a sensitive gyroscopic element I 0, preferably in the form of a single rotor with its spin axis normally vertical, said rotor being enclosed in the casing 24. Said casing is suspended for rotation round horizontal axis 34 in gimbal I I which is suspended for rotation round axis 35, 35 inside frame I2. A second gyro I6 is mounted to spin about a vertical axis in ball bearings 31, 38 carried directly in frame I2. The rotors are electrically maintained in high speed rotation in the usual way, and the lower part of frame I2 is preferably formed as an airtight enclosure for gyro IB.

The sensitive gyro III and its casing 24 are erected to hold the vertical by conventional means; for instance the arrangement shown in Braddon, Beach, DeLanty and Vacquier, Ser. No. 608,140, Fig. 7 is suitable, As shown in Fig. 1 of the present application this arrangement consists of a pair of small damped pendulums 39, 40 mounted on top of frame I2 so as to be free to swing in vertical planes at right angles, said planes being parallel to the gimbal axes 35, 35 and 34 respectively. These pendulums carry each one set of plates of a variable capacity condenser, the other sets of plates being fixed to frame I2. On being energized from a suitable source of high frequency alternating potential, said capacities give a signal proportional to the angular tilt of frame I2 with respect to the pendulum plumb line, and after suitable amplification and rectification said signals are applied to torque devices causing precession of gyroscope IU about the horizontal gimbal axes. The torque device controlled by pendulum 39 consists of a coil 8D mounted on .gimbal ring I I which coil receives the rectified, amplified signal from the amplifier and co-operates with the permanently energized magnet 54 carried on frame I2 to apply a torque about axis V35, 36. Similarly the signal from pendulum 40 controls the current in coil 80 mounted .on the gyro casing 24 which co-operates with magnet 54 carried by gimbal ring II to exert a torque round axis 34.

It will be observed that whereas the signals given by the pendulums 39 and 46 are governed by tilting of the frame I2, the resulting torques are applied to the gyro Ill.

However, as will next be described a second followup system is provided according to this invention to cause the gyro i6, and with it the frame I2, to follow very closely all the movements of gyro I9.

The control of gyro I by the pendulums 39 and 40 is arranged to be very gentle, so that the rate of precession of this gyro will be very slow. With this object, gyro I9 with its casing 24, gimbal ring I I, and parts attached thereto, are carefully balanced so as to be in neutral equilibrium. The suspensions at axes 35, 36 and 34 are arranged to be substantially free from friction, by means hereinafter described. Since any disturbing forces which can act on gyro l0 are thereby made very small, the correcting torques due to coils 8U and magnets 54 may also be small. Temporary displacement of the pendulums from the true vertical due to short-lived lateral accelerations, will therefore produce very small deviations of the axle of gyro I6 which will indicate the mean vertical as shown by the pendulums with a high degree of accuracy.

On the other hand, the follow-up action of gyro I6 is made prompt and powerful So that said gyro will faithfully hold its axle parallel to the axle of gyro I 0 in spite of large disturbing torques such as may be caused for instance by the reactions of the transmitting devices which form part of the invention.

With this object, an electromagnetic torque or follow-up motor I8, I9, Figs. 1 and 2, is mounted to act on each of the horizontal gimbal axes of the frame I2. As shown in Fig. 3, vthe torquemotor acting round axis 20, 2I consists of a wound f' vtwo phase stator I8 mounted on gimbal ring I3 and a squirrel cage rotor 9 ixed to the axle of frame I2. A similar motor (Fig. 2) is provided to act round axis 4I, the stator I9 in that case being fixed to the base I4, and therotor fixed to the axle of gimbal I3. The construction of the torque motors may be the same in both cases and may be of any conventional form.

The torque applied by these motors causes the gyro I6 to precess, and it is important that the control of these motors should cause such precession as will bring the axle of gyro lI6 into line with the axle of gyro i0, but Without applying any disturbing forces which might cause the sensitive gyro I0 to deviate. With this object a suitablepick-olf or sensitive controller for the torque motors is provided. For this purpose, a photoelectric system is shown comprising a mirror fixedy to .the under side of gyro casing 24, see Fig. 4. A projector tube 42 rmounted on fra-me I2 containsa light source 21 the -light from which passes through condenser `lens 28 and is brought to a focus at a pinhole in diaphragm 29 whichY thus-becomes virtually a vbright point source. The light'from the pinhole is then collimated by lens 30, passes through'the rotating prism 3l and is reflected by mirror 25 through a second condenser 43 and brought to a focus on the 'surface of a photo-electric cell 26 of yspecial construction to be described hereinafter. The photo-cellis mounted on frame I2.

The prism 3l of small angle is rotatably mounted at the mouth of projector tubel 42, for rotation about the optical axis of the 1ens system therein and is rotated by synchronous electric motor 32 through gears 44 and 45. 'The spot of light which is the image of pinhole 29 focussed on photo-cell 26 therefore describes a small circle, the radius of which is xed by the angle of prism 3| while the position of the center of said circle depends on the inclination of gyro casing 24 and mirror 25 with respect to frame I2. Y

Fig. 5 shows the construction of the photoelectric cell and its connections to the torque motors. The evacuated transparent envelope of the cell, indicated by the outer dotted circle 56, contains four electrodes. The circular path of the light spot is Shown by the inner dotted circle 5I. Two electrodes 41 and 48 are photo-sensitive cathodes in the form of wires stretched diametrically across the cell at right angles. A third photo-sensitive cathode 46 is in the shape of a semicircular plate. The common anode 49 is in the form of a wire ring. The four electrodes are arranged at slightly different levels so as not to be in contact with one another.

As kthe light spot travels quickly round the circle 5I, the D-shaped cathode 46 emits current pulses of the same frequency as the rotation of the prism 3|. These pulses are amplified by the amplifier 55 and then go through amplitude limiter 56, which produces a flat-topped wave form, and through a frequency iilter 51 which attenuates harmonics of the prism rotation frequency. The alternating current output is then supplied to the constant phase winding which is "one of the two windings of stator I9 of the two-phase torque motor acting round axis 4I of the frame I2, and as another constant phase to coil 64 of the two windings of the rotor I8 of the vcorresponding motor which acts about axis 2|. The last-named winding is fed through a phase shifting network 53 for a reason that will appear hereinafter.

The two wire cathodes 41 and 48 of the photocell are each traversed twice per revolution by the spot of light, and so long as the circle 5I is centered at the intersection ofl these two wires eachwire will emit pulses of current at twice the frequency of rotation of prism `3 I, and diiiering in phase from each other by`90". These two sets of pulses are amplified by amplifiers 52 and 5,3 respectively. The outputs of these amplifiers then pass through amplitude limiters L58 and 60 and through frequency filters 59 and 6 I.

These filters are constructed to pass only frequencies equal to the speed of rotation of prism 3 I, and the double frequency voltages will be unable to pass through them to the Variable phase windings 56, 61 of the torque motors.

When, however, the axle of gyro I6 is nolon'ger parallel with the axle of gyro I9 the mirror 25 will be tilted with respect to the projector 42 and photo-cell 26 with the consequence that the center of the circular light path 5| will no longer coincide with the intersection of the wires 41 and 48. Let it be supposed, for the sake of example that said center moves laway from wire 41 ybut remains on wire'48. Then the pulses from wire 41 will no longer be equally spaced but will be separated'by alternate long and short intervals. The output from amplifier 53wil1then contain a component at half the frequency of the pulses but equal to the frequency of the output from semicircular plate 46 and displaced 90 in phase therefrom. Said component from wire 41 and amplifier 53 will then be able to pass through filter 6I and energize the variable phase winding 61 in quadrature with the fixed phase winding 65 ofthe torque motor. The motor thus supplied with two-phase current will then exer't'a torque through frame l2 on `gyro rI6 causing it to process and line up its axle with the axle of the gyro I0 in which state the current through winding 61 will cease and the motor will become inactive.

It will .be observed that as the center of the light path 5l passes from left to right across wire 41, the low frequency component of the signal from said wire changes its phase by 180 and the torque of motor 65, 61 `will therefore reverse as requisite to cause prec'ession in the Vrequired direction.

Similarly, if the center of circle 5I, is displaced to one side or the other of photo-active wire 48, the signal from that wire will contain a half-frequency component which after passing through amplifier 52 and limited 58, will also pass filter 59 and energize the Variable phase winding 66 of the second torque motor andin co-operation with xed phase E4 will cause precession of gyro I6 in the required sense to bring the center of circle 5I back to the wire 48.

Since wire 48 is parallel to the straight side of plate cathode 46 the outputs of the two would normally be in phase with one another for which reason the phase-shifting network 63 is put in circuit with coil -64 to change its phase permanently by substantially a right angle.

In this way powerful erecting torques may be applied to gyro I6 to align it with gyro IU entirely by the control of `mirror 25 and without any reaction on gyro IU.

The motor 431. which drives prism 3| fixes the basic .frequency of the electrical follow-up circuits. Said motor may conveniently consist of a single phase self-starting synchronous motor such as is used .for electric clocks. The motor may be supplied from an external source of suitable frequency and, if the gyro rotors I and'IE are driven as usual, by poly-phase electric motors, one of the phases of the supply 4may be used to feed motor 32.

It will be observed that the alternating current derived from the semicircular or D-'shaped electrode 46 in Fig. 4 through amplifier 55 has a frequency equal to the speed of rotation of the prism 3l. In some cases it may be convenient to make the prism driving motor 32 as a twopole machine geared to run at the same speed as the prism. In such a case the source of single phase current that supplies motor 32 may also be used to energize the fixed .phase coils 64 and l65 of the follow-up motor. The D shaped cathode 46 of the photo-cell may then be dispensed with together with the amplifier 55 andlimiter 56 associated therewith. In view, however, of the elastic coupling between the electrical windings of motor 32 and the mechanical rotation of the prism, there may be variable phase difference between the output from cathodes 41 and 48, and the input to the fixed phase coils 64 and 65, which differences may interfere with the close following up of the gyro. For this reason the arrangement shown in Fig, is to be preferred.

By using considerable gain in ampliiiers 52 and '53, followed by drastic amplitude limitation a steep response curve of the torque motors will be obtained so that a powerful torque will be 'exerted on very small departures from alignment.

In the usual phantom system, 'the torque of the follow-up motor 'causes an acceleration of the phantom with a tendency to hunt that is very difficult to suppress.

to hunt.

'precession, and this allows of very tight following with substantially no lag and no tendency rotation, for small angles, is deiinitely fixed so that the balance of the gyro in the gimbals is permanent.

One 'form of this hinge is shown in Fig. Gas applied to act between the gimbal ring Il and gyro casing 24. In this case a stout slotted plate B8 projects inwardly from the gimbal ring and a corresponding plate '6G is screwed to a boss on the gyro casing. Plate 69 is suspended by one edge from plate `68 by a plurality of thin strips 'l0 of tempered steel or similar material. The arrangement is similar to the conventional suspension for heavy pendulums of clocks, which, as is well known, oscillate through an angle of a few degrees about an axis which is fixed at a point substantially level with the middle of the suspension spring.

In the case of apparatus to be used in moving craft, however, it `is necessary to provide a lateral constraint, and this is given, in the present invention, by a plurality of horizontal springs 'll spaced between springs lll and connecting plates 68 and 69 in the manner shown. The axis of oscillation is defined by the intersection of the two planes containing the two sets of springs. There is -then no friction except internal molecular friction of the spring material, and the freedom is independent of lubrication or dirt. A slight constraint is introduced by the stiffness of the spring material, but this is minimized by making the springs very thin (since the stiffness Yvaries as the cube of the thickness) and increasing the aggregate axial width of the springs (which affects the stiffness. in direct proportion) to obtain adequate cross-sectional area to sustain the load. Moreover, as the angle of exure of the springs can be kept within a small fraction of one degree by the close following of frame I2, the disturbance of gyro l0 due to stiffness of the springs can be made negligibly small.

In Fig. 6 while the vertical springs 'l are always in tension the horizontal springs 'l'l may be put in either tension or compression by lateral loads. In cases where this lack of symmetry is undesirable the alternative arrangement of Figure 'I may be used. In this case the plate 69 is supported from plate 68 by thin leaf springs 1D, "ll which are equally inclined to the vertical and normally at equal tensions. Figure 7 is an end view of said springs and it will be understood that the lines 'ID and Il each represent a plurality of such springs interlaced as in Figure 6. The intersection at 'l2 of the planes of the two sets of springs marks the axis of relative rotation of the two plates 68 and 69 and, for small angles of rotation is substantially a fixed straight line.

It has been remarked herein that when the gyro system is suspended on flexible ribbons or springs Aas shown in Figures 6 and 7, the stiffness "of the spring material introduces a restoring couple tending to bring the plates Y68 and 6'9 parallel to each other, and, when the plates are `not parallel, this couple can not be of zero value although 'the effects of thestiiness of the ribbons. device is shown in Figure 7 where I3-shows a -helical spring stretched across from plate 68 to .se part of this invention.

it may be made small by usingthinribbons or leaf springs of elastic material.- For thesmall angles of exure contemplated by thegpresent invention it is possible to introduce an equaland opposite compensating couple which will nullify This plate 69 with its axis intersecting the hinge-axis g at Y"I2, under the normal conditions in which the ribbons-'II'I and 'II are free from flexure.

The 4tension of spring 13' then exerts no turnngmoment round axis 12.

If now lplate 69 is given a slight tiltvrelative Vtoplate 68, the axis of spring 13 will pass to right 'orv left of intersection l2 and the tension of spring 'I3 will have a moment tending to increase the vexisting tilt of plate 68. At the same time the rribbons I and 'II by their stiiness will tend to It will therefore ,Y

decrease said tilt of plate 68. be obvious that by proper adjustment of the tension of the helical spring 'I3 the effect of the stiff- -ness of the ribbons I0 and 'I Il may be compensated .for very accurately for small angles of tilt. Be-

cause of the close following of frame I2 andy gyrocasinglt, the relative tilting of plates 68 and 59 respectively attached thereto will always be kept within small langular limits. "Hence, by

the combination of several features of the invention, the gyro IQ is eiectually relieved of all angular constraint from the suspension, and acts as a very accurate indicator of the vertical.

Gyro I6, being slaved to follow gyro II) also indicates the Vertical with similar precision, and

one of the objects of the invention is to measure f and transmit tor receiving stations the angles of roll and pitch of the craft from thel vertical. With this object electrical transmitters'ZZ and V23, Fig. 2, are tted on gimbal axesv 2l! and 4I respectively, to transmit the angular rotations about the gimbal Ipivots. The torque for driving said transmitters is derived in the iirst instance "from the gyroscopic inertia of gyro IB, which by its lvery immobility acts to drive thetransmitters lin the required direction through the proper follow-up motors, but the initial instantaneous torque is provided by the gyroscope itself thus eliminatinglag between the actual angular movement of the ship and the indication thereof by I the transmitter.

Transmitters of angular indications of many types are well known in the art anulare not per type of transmitter or Selsyn isy well adapted Ifor vthe vpurposes of this invention, and may vbe fmounted directly on the gimbal pivots for direct l driveat one-to-one speed ratio, or the transmitter may be driven at a higher speed throughY f gearing.

Since many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departure from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the ,above Vdescription or shown in the accompanying vdrawings shall :be interpreted as illustrative and Vnot in a limiting sense. Y i l .l n

A self -synchronous y said gyro vertical.

:What `is claimed is: .Y

' I L1A gyroscopicr stabilized yplatform kfor usein set of yex-ible ribbons supporting said gimbal ring 'in said frame, pendulum controlled torque producing means for securing 'vertically of the axle o said gyro, a second vertical axis gyrorotatably' `mounted in said frame and constrained to tilt therewith, a mirror carried by the casing 'of said `firstv gyro, a multi-electrode photo-sensitive lcell "supported by said frame,torque motors controlled through amplifiers by' said photo-cell and adapted to apply torques round 'the'gimbal axes oi said'iranie, a rotating prism, a light projector carried by said frame and adapted to lthrow beam yof light through said 'prism for reiiection by'said mirror onto said photo-cell so as to cause "said torque'motors to align said frame and second gyro `with said iirst gyro and Vtransmitters `driven coaxially with said torque motors. :for

transmitting angles of roll and pitch of the craft which 'carries it relative'to said stabilized'platform. l

2.v In a gyroscopi'cally stabilized platform for use in movable craft the"combination with'a sensitive gyro vertical of a gyro servo system, comprising a universally mounted follow-up frame supporting said gyro vertical in gimbals,'a servogyro journalled for rotationabo-ut'a vertical axis in said frame normally in line with the axis of said gyro vertical and stabilizing'said frame to an approximate degree `by gyroscopic inertia, torque-producing means for causing precession of said servogyro about an axis, transmitting means for transmittingthe angles of roll and pitch of the craft relativelytorsaid framey and control means adaptedl to `energize said torque producing means wheneverU the axle of said servogyro is out of alignment with said gyro verticalcausing it tov precess into alignment with 3. In a gyroscopically stabilized platform comprising a sensitive gyro vertical, aservogyro, a rst ,universal support for both gyros, and an additional universal support vfor said'sensitive gyro; a pick-off device having a light source, giving a beam of light, means for causing said beam continuously to sweep out a cone, a'reflector, one Vof said source or reflector being carried by said first support and the other by saidsensitive gyro,

`a photo-sensitive cell on to which said rotating beam of light is reflected by saidy reflector, said photo-cell being adapted to give a signal depending on asymmetry of the incidence of said light beam on said cell, and a plurality of torque motors acting'about different axes of said rst support adapted to be controlled by said'signal.

4. In a gyroscopically stabilized platform,y a

Vfollow-up devicecomprising a light source, a mirror, 'a rotating prism'and a photo-cell so constructed and arrangedthat a focussed image of ,the said source after reflection in the' mirroris caused-by said prism to execute a circular orbit upon the cathodes ofthe photo-Cell, the position of the center of said orbit depending on .the relative inclination of saidlmirroi. and light source, said photo-,cell comprising two diametral .cathodes at right angles giving a component signal at of constant phase at rotation frequency independent of the centering of the orbit.

5. In a gyroscopically stabilized platform, a sensitive gyro vertical, a gimbal ring and followup frame power driven to follow very closely the motions of the gyro vertical, characterized by having hinges or joints at the horizontal axes by which the gyro vertical. is supported in the gimbal ring, and the gimbal ring is supported in the frame, each of said hinges comprising a plurality i of parallel leaves or strips of elastic material disposed in a vertical plane vand attached at one end to the part supported and at the other end to the supporting part, and a second plurality of similar leaves alternating with the rst and disposed in a horizontal plane, the intersection of said vertical and horizontal planes constituting the axis of rotation.

6. In a gyroscopically stabilized platform, a

sensitive gyro vertical, a gimbal .ring and followc up frame power driven to follow closely the motions of the gyro vertical, characterized by having hinges or joints at the horizontal axes by which the gyro vertical is supported in the gimbal ring, and the gimbal ring is supported in the frame, each of said hinges comprising a plurality of leaves of elastic material disposed in two intersecting planes the line of intersection marking the axis of the hinge, said leaves connecting the supporting part to the part to be supported, said hinge further comprising a tension spring having one end attached to the support and one end attached to the part supported so that the axis of the spring passes through the axis of the hinge, said tension spring being adjusted so as substantially to counterbalance the stiffness of said leaves for small angles of displacement.

7. A gyroscopically stabilized platform for use in. movable craft comprising a normally horizontal frame suspended with freedom to tilt in any direction relatively to said craft, a sensitive gyro vertical suspended from said frame with freedom to tilt in any direction relatively thereto, a

servogyro xedly mounted to spin about a nor- "f mally vertical axis in said frame, torque producing means for causing precession of said servogyro about any horizontal axis and consequent tiltingr of said frame, and control means adapted to come into action on any departure from parallelism of the spin axis of the two gyros thereby energizing said torque producing means so as to cause preoession of said servogyro and maintain the frame horizontal.

8. In a gyroscopically stabilized platform, a i

follow-up element including a second gyro vertical on said platform, transmitters for transmitting to a distance the angles of roll and pitch of the craft relatively to said platform, and control means responsive to relative angular movement between the axes of the two gyros, said control means being adapted and arranged firstly so as to cause said second gyro to precess and follow the angular movements of said rst gyro and to thereby stabilize the platform and drive said transmitters.

19.1n a stabilized platform, a universal support for the platform, a gyroscopic element r0- tatably mounted on said platform, a second gyroscopic element supported on said platform with three axes of freedom, means for detecting relative displacement of the axis of rotation of the first gyroscopic element and one of the axes of freedom of said second gyroscopic element from a prescribed relationship, means connected to said support controlled by said detecting means for eliminating said displacements, and means controlled by the attitude of said stabilized platform with respect to a force lield due to the earth for orienting said second gyroscopic element.

l1. In a gyroscopically stabilized platform comprising a sensitive element and a power driven following element, a follow-up device including a light source, an optical system forming an image of said source moving so as to trace a pattern located according to the angle between said sensitive and following elements, a photo-sensitive cell with three cathode elements, two of said cathodes being arranged in cruciform fashion so as to give alternating current signals of variable phase depending on the asymmetry or the pattern traced by said image on the cell and the third cathode being so shaped and placed as to give a signal of substantially constant phase, and a pair of electric alternating current torque motors for aligning the following and sensitive elements, one of said torque motors being energized by one of the variable phase signals and the constant phase signal and the other of said torque motors being energized by the other of the variable phase signals and the constant phase signal.

RUSSELL H. VARIAN.

REFERENCES CTED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,446,348 Hort Feb. 20, 1923 1,603,352 Paxton Oct. 19, 1926 1,999,646 Wittkuhns Apr. 30, 1935 2,180,859 Borchers Nov. 21, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 646,425 Germany June 14, 1937 200,833 Great Britain Oct. 4, 1923 

